102 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL CANADIAN INSTITUTE. [VOL. XI 
greatest ease and in the greatest numbers, but, as before stated, at this 
time they are not suitable for eating fresh, for dry salting, pickling or 
smoking. So unsuitable are they that any caught at this time and put 
on the market are apt to ruin the market for good fish. If, then, the fish 
are carefully protected during the spawning period, there seems to be 
no reason to believe that there would be danger of over fishing even if 
the amount caught was increased to many times the present amount. 
Furthermore, if all the fish shipped were in good condition, there would 
be little likelihood of a glutted market, even if the supply were greatly 
increased. 
With the assistance of Mr. H. MclIndoo, Fisheries Overseer, we 
were able to get a good idea of the times and places where spawning 
took place during the spring of this year (1914). The information 
thus obtained tends to confirm the opinion that there are different 
schools or races corresponding to the different localities where fish are 
caught in quantity during the season. Indians reported the first spawn 
of the season from Yellow Point on Feb. 20. No spawn was received 
from that locality, but doubtless the report was correct. On Feb. 26 
and 27 there was an abundance of spawn deposited around Breakwater 
Island, through Gabriola Pass and the north shore of Pylades Channel 
between Gabriola Pass and False Narrows. On March 2 there was 
strong evidence of milt at the southeast end of Northumberland Channel 
in the neighborhood of Percy Anchorage, but this must have been due 
either to the presence of some coming through False Narrows with 
the current or to the fact that large hauls of fish were being made near 
by in the Channel and the rough handling caused a certain amount to 
be dehisced. This is often noticeable near where fish are being taken 
out of a seine. At any rate careful examination later failed to reveal 
any spawn in the channel. On March 9, Pilot Bay at the north end of 
Gabriola Island was filled with milt, and spawn was deposited in large 
quantities. From Pilot Bay eastward to Berry Point—the north- 
eastern point of the island—spawning took place during the two follow- 
ing days. The northeast coast of Gabriola Island from Berry Point to 
the Flat Top Islands was visited March 12 and 13, continuing on the 
east side of the Island until March 17. In the meantime spawning was 
reported from Big Qualicum on March 8 and from the entrance of 
Nanoose Bay for three or four miles eastward on March 10. Mr. McIndoo 
found herring spawning at Ganges Harbor, Saltspring Island, on March 
20, but this locality is so far away from this district where close observa- 
tions were made that it can scarcely be included in any generalisation. 
Within the district we have quite complete data except for Cowichan 
Gap and the neighboring portion of Valdez Island, from which we have 
no records. 
